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Monday, July 17, 2017

When Our Prayers Aren't Answered

Trust
in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight
yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:3-4 (NLT)

Why do our prayers sometimes go unanswered if, as
the psalmist proclaims, God gives us the desires of our heart?

Well, have we followed the steps outlined?

Step 1: Trust God. Believe that He loves you and can
work good from any situation. Trust displaces worry, but isn’t permission to
sit idly waiting for a solution to drop from the sky.

Step 2: Do good. Focus on others. Don’t wallow in
the struggle but reach out to others and serve. I have always found that
serving someone else lifts my spirits. I recently guest blogged about the
health benefits of volunteering.

Step 3: Settle in where you are. Live in the
present. Don’t disengage while waiting for something better. Make friends. Get
involved. You may be exactly where God wants to use you.

Step 4: Delight in the Lord. Praise God in every
circumstance. Establish a habit of gratitude. Find joy in Him alone.

Then.... God will give you the desires of your
heart.

There’s a good chance those desires have changed
while you’ve trusted God’s plan and started looking for His purpose in this
season. Perhaps you’ve rekindled an old dream or discovered a new passion. You’ve
invested yourself in the community and may have forged an unexpected
relationship. You’ve experienced blessing in the waiting and learned a few
lessons.

And in God’s perfect timing, He will fulfill the desires He placed in your
heart. (tweet
this)

Do
you have an unfulfilled dream? What have you learned while waiting?